Hasan Mahmud became the first Bangladesh fast bowler to take a hat-trick in Test cricket on Sunday. He struck three times in three balls on the third day of the one-off Test against Afghanistan in Abu Dhabi. The Hasan Mahmud hat-trick turned a stubborn innings into a collapse at the Zayed Cricket Stadium.
Bangladesh had made 346 in their first innings. Afghanistan replied with 240, so the visitors took a lead of 106 runs. Rahmat Shah resisted with an unbeaten century, but he ran out of partners.
How the Hasan Mahmud hat-trick unfolded
The moment came in the 83rd over of the Afghanistan innings. Afghanistan had reached 220 for five, and Rahmat was holding the innings together. Hasan then changed the match in the space of three deliveries.
First, he bowled Ismat Alam with a ball that came back into the batter and passed under the bat. Next, Qais Ahmad edged a delivery that moved away from him. Wicketkeeper Litton Das dived to his right and held a fine low catch. Then Hasan trapped Zia-ur-Rehman in front of the stumps. The umpire turned down the appeal, so captain Najmul Hossain Shanto called for a review. The replay showed the ball would have hit the stumps, and the decision was overturned.
Three wickets had fallen at 220. Afghanistan slipped to eight down with the same score, and their hopes of matching Bangladesh faded quickly. Hasan returned to remove the last batter, Yamin Ahmadzai, and complete a five-wicket haul. He finished with five for 55 from 21 overs.
Ebadot Hossain supported him well with four wickets. Mehidy Hasan Miraz took the other wicket. Rahmat remained unbeaten on 105 from 216 balls, with 10 fours and two sixes. His effort kept Afghanistan in the contest, but it could not close the gap.
A Test that had already swung both ways
Bangladesh built their total around a fast start on the opening day. Tanzid Hasan struck 83 from 71 balls, while Litton Das added a half-century. Our day-one report from Abu Dhabi recorded Bangladesh at 317 for eight before they closed on 346. The match has also drawn attention off the field, where Ramiz Raja joined the commentary panel for the Afghanistan-Bangladesh Test.
Afghanistan lost early wickets in reply, yet Rahmat repaired the damage. He passed his century on Sunday and batted through the collapse. Even so, the hat-trick shifted the pressure back onto his side. In Durban this week, Matt Renshaw made a career-best 190 for Australia against South Africa, another innings that put a side in control.
Third name on a very short list
Hasan is only the third Bangladesh bowler to take a hat-trick in Test cricket. Leg-spinner Alok Kapali was the first, against Pakistan at Peshawar in 2003, when he dismissed Shabbir Ahmed, Danish Kaneria and Umar Gul in successive balls. Off-spinner Sohag Gazi became the second name on the list against New Zealand in 2013.
Both earlier hat-tricks came from spinners. Hasan, at 26, is the first pace bowler from his country to manage the feat. The fifth wicket also brought a personal milestone. Reports from Abu Dhabi said the haul took him past 50 Test wickets, a mark he reached faster than any other Bangladesh fast bowler.
Geo Super’s match report carries the scorecard details and reaction from the ground.
What happens next in Abu Dhabi
Bangladesh will bat again with a lead of 106 and time on their side. A strong second innings would set Afghanistan a hard target on a wearing pitch. Afghanistan, in turn, need early wickets to stay alive.
Cricket fans in Pakistan have a second match on Sunday evening, as Pakistan meet Sri Lanka in Rawalpindi in the second T20I. Sahibzada Farhan has said his side will keep the aggressive approach that won the series opener, after Sri Lanka batted first in that first match and Pakistan chased the target down. A win would seal the series with a game to spare.
FAQ
Who did Hasan Mahmud dismiss in his hat-trick?
Hasan dismissed Ismat Alam, Qais Ahmad and Zia-ur-Rehman with three consecutive deliveries in the 83rd over of Afghanistan’s first innings on Sunday.
Who else has taken a Test hat-trick for Bangladesh?
Alok Kapali took the first against Pakistan in 2003, and Sohag Gazi followed against New Zealand in 2013. Hasan Mahmud is the third overall and the first fast bowler.
What is the match situation in Abu Dhabi?
Bangladesh made 346 and then bowled Afghanistan out for 240, despite an unbeaten 105 from Rahmat Shah. Bangladesh therefore lead by 106 runs in the one-off Test.
What were Hasan Mahmud’s figures?
Hasan finished with five wickets for 55 runs from 21 overs. Ebadot Hossain took four wickets and Mehidy Hasan Miraz took one.
